An attempt to assassinate Donald Trump is a terrifying moment for the former president — and America

Shots were fired. Trump clutched his ear and ducked to the ground. The Secret Service scrambled, while people in the crowd screamed. It was a terrifying moment for the former president, everyone watching on, and for the country as a whole.

The United States has a tragic history of political assassinations, and this sort of moment is one that candidates and their families must fear the most. But just four months out from a divisive election, in an America already so polarised, the attempt on Trump's life – and the way it's now handled — could have much broader consequences.

No place for this sort of violence in the US

Trump has described the bullet "ripping through the skin" and piercing the upper part of one of his ears. He was escorted off stage, with blood on his face, and taken away to be assessed by doctors. 

One of the people in the crowd died, another two are in a critical condition in hospital. The former president extended his condolences to the victims, thanked the Secret Service, and said it was "incredible that such an act can take place in our country."

President Joe Biden responded within hours, describing what had happened as "sick" and arguing there's no place for this sort of violence in the US. His campaign announced it would pause its election attack ads.

But some of Trump's allies immediately pointed the finger.

"Today is not just some isolated incident," wrote JD Vance, a Republican senator from Ohio and rumoured contender for Trump's running mate.

"The central premise of the Biden campaign is that president Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to president Trump's attempted assassination."

Reuters is reporting the FBI has identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Pennsylvania as the person who opened fire at the rally, however, a possible motive for the attack has not yet been released. The shooter is believed to have targeted Trump from outside the rally venue, and was killed after opening fire.

What events led to the shooting of Donald Trump?

Republican representative Marjorie Taylor Greene accused Trump's opponents of "demonising" the former president and his supporters.

"The Democrats and the media are to blame for every drop of blood spilled today," she said.

The pictures of Trump returning to his feet, pumping his fist in the air, and mouthing what appeared to be the words "Fight, fight, fight" will become the defining images of his election bid.

"He'll never stop fighting to Save America," his son Donald Trump Jr wrote, alongside a photo of his bleeding father, fist raised, in front of an American flag.

For the supporters of a candidate who'd long argued he was being unfairly targeted, that message will resonate powerfully. So will an email sent out by a Trump fundraising body in the aftermath, with the four words: "I WILL NEVER SURRENDER!"

Could the shooting up-end the election contest?

The Republican Party has announced it will push ahead with its convention in Milwaukee, where Trump is due to be officially confirmed as the nominee within days.

What had already been planned as a celebration of the former president and his 'MAGA' movement, Make America Great Again, will likely take on a new, more urgent tone.

The shooting could up-end the election contest, but for now, the president is returning to the White House from Delaware — setting aside the political chaos that had engulfed his own bid for a second term.

He, and many other political leaders, are calling for calm.

"It's one of the reasons why we have to unite this country," Biden said.

That could be a tougher ask than ever.